The Research Paper

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WRTG 1320 Writing Assignment 6 Final Persuasive/Argumentative Essay(Huzzah! The last one!)Spring 2012



The Assignment:

Write a five-to-six page persuasive/argumentative essay on an issue related to the research topic on which you have been focusing this semester. This assignment is worth 20% of the final grade for the course; students must submit all major assignments and associated drafts in order to have the opportunity to pass the course.
How-to:
  • Your purpose is to sway readers toward your position. Include your thesis (highlighted) in the introduction, and be sure that it is arguable and debatable. Be sure that you acknowledge and address alternative views, both as part of the thesis and in the support (see page 214 in the text). Use the thesis builder.
  • Your sources must be credible and scholarly. To this end, I request that you limit your sources to only peer-reviewed journals or books (see page 263 in the text).
  • Model your essay on the content of the APA example found on page 274 of the text, but remember that your paper should adhere to MLA format (no cover page, etc).

Requirements:
  • Write from the third-person point of view, and use the present tense.

“Silver argues... ” (not “I thought... ” or “You will see... ” or “Silver argued... ”).
  • Cite all outside sources, include a Work Cited Page, and prepare using MLA format. Failure to cite outside sources or include a Work Cited page will result in a grade of F for the paper.
  • Please ensure that the essay turned in for grading represents a significant revision to the first draft.
  • The final revision must measure a minimum of five full pages.

Suggested Resources:
  • Chapter One, “Active Critical Reading”
  • Chapter Two, “Responses, Paraphrases, Summaries, and Quotations”
  • Chapter Three, “Critical Analysis”
  • Chapter Six, “Synthesis”
  • Chapter Seven, “Argument”
  • Chapter Eight, “Writing Research Papers”
  • Thesis Builder

Examples from previous classes:

ArgumentFinal.docx


2ArgumentFinal.docx


Criteria for Evaluation:

  • Topic selected is sufficiently narrow to the purpose.
  • Clearly stated thesis in the introduction, which also contains information regarding context.
  • Thesis is supported by evidentiary support substantiated with quotations, paraphrases, and summaries from sources.
  • Counter argument is acknowledged and negated, both in the thesis and in the body of the paper.
  • Meets the requirements stated for the assignment.
  • Other criteria previously stated in the course syllabus

Due Dates for Writers:

  1. Save the essay with your first initial followed by your last name and then the essay type: Example: SDoggArgument
  2. Post your draft TO YOUR PERSONAL WIKI PAGE by the beginning of class on December 4.
  3. Print two copies and bring it with you to class for read around peer review on Wednesday and Thursday. (Please see the syllabus for penalties for failure to have a draft on peer review day.)

Due Dates for Readers performing Peer Review:

  1. Download your classmate’s essay.
  2. Use the Peer Review Guidelines to make inline comments.
  3. Include your name as peer reviewer at the end of your comments.
  4. Upload the essay after peer review to YOUR wiki page.

Friday is study day, so class does not meet.
Final Due Dates:

Your workshopped, revised proposals, your workshopped, revised annotated bibliographies and your workshopped, revised research papers are due on the day and time designated for your final exam. Upload these to your personal Wiki page with Final added to the document name. If possible, segregate these from the first drafts and other junk so I can see all the bits I am to grade.


Example: SDoggArgumentFinal.
(Please see the syllabus for information about late submission of essay assignments.)
A note about due diligence: Because this is the last assignment of the semester, and because we will not be seeing each other after the due date, you need to be sure that that document has been uploaded properly and that it contains all necessary components. This means checking and double checking that the document you uploaded to your page is the proper one and that it contains a Works Cited page (as well as the required parenthetical citations).

Peer Review Questions for Research Essay
Find AND LABEL the following:

  • Thesis: Does it contain (1) the claim, (2) 3 "because" statements, and (3) the obvious objection (in any order)?
  • Where does the paper give the background/context of the issue?
  • Which paragraphs give support for which portions of the thesis?
  • Identify and label the topic of each paragraph. Does the rest of the paragraph relate to just that one topic?
  • Does the writer explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis?
  • Does the writer introduce, mitigate, and refute the obvious objection to the central claim?
  • Identify the types of support: anecdote, example, stats, experts, texts.
  • Does the conclusion readdress the thesis in light of the evidence provided, rather than simply restating the thesis?
  • Is the conclusion effective and logical?
  • Does it introduce information not included in the essay?
  • Does the paper as a whole represent a complete conversation, leaving no doubt to its intent or argument?
  • Find and check in-text citations.
  • Are sources "scholarly?"
  • Check for Works Cited page.
  • Check for length--at least 5 FULL pages.